Archinect - News2016-12-09T09:00:00-05:00http://archinect.com/news/article/149981644/5-housing-experts-offer-opinions-about-ben-carson-s-direction-as-hud-head
5 housing experts offer opinions about Ben Carson's direction as HUD head Julia Ingalls2016-12-06T14:09:00-05:00>2016-12-06T14:09:29-05:00<img src="http://cdn.archinect.net/images/650x/t7/t770mlvwlpjxqmqm.jpg" width="650" height="468" border="0" title="" alt="" /><p>What are the likely policy goals of a neurosurgeon appointed secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development by a man who can't stop disappointedly tweeting at Alec Baldwin? "There&rsquo;s not a dearth of qualified Republicans for that job, so if you choose somebody with no background in housing, it says something about your priorities,&rdquo; says&nbsp;Julia Gordon, executive vice president of the National Community Stabilization Trust, according to an article in <a href="https://nextcity.org/daily/entry/housing-experts-say-ben-carson-HUD-secretary-nomination" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">NextCity</a>. Various other housing experts, including Barbara Sard and Benjamin Dulchin, voiced concern about the man with no actual federal housing experience, although former HUD official Maurice Jones was cautiously optimistic, saying that "whatever agenda or whatever priority they have, I look forward to learning what that is."&nbsp;The article goes on to note that:&nbsp;</p><p>"a&nbsp;<em>Washington Times</em>&nbsp;<a href="http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/jul/23/ben-carson-obamas-housing-rules-try-to-accomplish-/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">op-ed</a>&nbsp;by Ben Carson published in July 2015 indicates that he either does not understand or does not support the AFFH rule [Affirmatively Furthering...</p>http://archinect.com/news/article/149976668/frank-gehry-s-sunset-strip-mixed-user-unanimously-approved-by-l-a-city-council
Frank Gehry's Sunset Strip mixed-user unanimously approved by L.A. City Council Amelia Taylor-Hochberg2016-11-03T13:17:00-04:00>2016-11-13T14:00:59-05:00<img src="http://cdn.archinect.net/images/650x/y2/y2ep92ufvbml8g6c.jpg" width="650" height="503" border="0" title="" alt="" /><em><p>the developer, Townscape Partners, agreed to reduce its tallest tower to 178 feet and add more affordable housing and more parking spaces. It will also provide $2 million to ease traffic congestion.
The project will have 229 residential units, including 38 for low-income families. There will be 65,000 square feet of commercial space and a pedestrian plaza.</p></em><br /><br /><p>When Gehry's Sunset Strip development was <a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/149960952/frank-gehry-s-sunset-strip-mixed-user-approved-by-la-city-planning-commission-with-15-affordable-units" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">approved by the L.A. City Planning Commission</a> last August, the plan called for 28 affordable housing units (15% of the total stock)&mdash;a number that some at the Commission meeting were concerned set a "low bar" for a development of its size, stature and density (especially given the city's ongoing <a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/149960208/california-lawmakers-turn-to-granny-flats-to-help-ease-housing-shortage" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">housing crisis</a>).</p><p>The City Council's approval came with 10 more affordable housing units&mdash;approximately 17% of the total stock. The entire project includes two residential towers, a shopping center and gardens.</p><p>Related on Archinect:</p><ul><li><a title="Take a VR tour of the new L.A. Federal Courthouse, an &ldquo;unusually polished work of civic architecture&rdquo;" href="http://archinect.com/news/article/149975291/take-a-vr-tour-of-the-new-l-a-federal-courthouse-an-unusually-polished-work-of-civic-architecture" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Take a VR tour of the new L.A. Federal Courthouse, an &ldquo;unusually polished work of civic architecture&rdquo;</a></li><li><a title="Airbnb helps the homeless while getting involved with L.A.'s City Council" href="http://archinect.com/news/article/149975205/airbnb-helps-the-homeless-while-getting-involved-with-l-a-s-city-council" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Airbnb helps the homeless while getting involved with L.A.'s City Council</a></li><li><a title="How Frank Gehry was won over to design the Watts Children's Institute pro bono" href="http://archinect.com/news/article/149974688/how-frank-gehry-was-won-over-to-design-the-watts-children-s-institute-pro-bono" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">How Frank Gehry was won over to design the Watts Children's Institute pro bono</a></li></ul>http://archinect.com/news/article/149975205/airbnb-helps-the-homeless-while-getting-involved-with-l-a-s-city-council
Airbnb helps the homeless while getting involved with L.A.'s City Council Julia Ingalls2016-10-25T13:27:00-04:00>2016-10-25T13:29:15-04:00<img src="http://cdn.archinect.net/images/650x/g3/g34nm7ku9mo07brv.jpg" width="650" height="432" border="0" title="" alt="" /><p>After being criticized for helping to displace renters by inadvertently motivating landlords to turn long-term rentals into short-term hotel-like quarters, Airbnb is getting political and donating $100,000 to Los Angeles' Proposition HHH, which would require city officials to raise tax dollars to build 10,000 units of homeless housing. According to an article in the <a href="http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-airbnb-homeless-housing-20161018-snap-story.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">L.A. Times:</a></p><p>"The contribution&nbsp;comes as a proposed ordinance&nbsp;to regulate short-term rentals is working its way to the&nbsp;<a title="Los Angeles City Council" href="http://www.latimes.com/topic/politics-government/government/los-angeles-city-council-ORGOVV0000379-topic.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">City Council</a>. The measure, approved in June by the Los Angeles Planning Commission, would limit short-term&nbsp;rentals to 180 days per year,&nbsp;exclude&nbsp;rent-controlled units and impose a tax on rentals.</p><p>Airbnb welcomes&nbsp;being regulated&nbsp;but is not endorsing all the terms of&nbsp;the proposal as is, said spokesman Christopher Nully."&nbsp;</p><p>Airbnb in the news:</p><ul><li><a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/149973652/airbnb-adds-a-frank-lloyd-wright-home-the-cooke-house" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Airbnb adds a Frank Lloyd Wright home, the Cooke House</a></li><li><a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/149961108/airbnb-turns-to-urban-planning-as-it-looks-towards-the-future-of-home-sharing" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Airbnb turns to urban planning as it looks towards the future of home-sharing</a></li><li><a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/149968386/airbnb-offers-landlords-a-cut-of-the-profits" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Airbnb offers landlords a cut of the profi...</a></li></ul>http://archinect.com/news/article/149970640/the-former-football-stars-tackling-england-s-affordable-housing-shortage
The former-football stars tackling England's affordable housing shortage Nicholas Korody2016-09-26T13:17:00-04:00>2016-09-27T23:34:37-04:00<img src="http://cdn.archinect.net/images/650x/99/99sv3jgrn6fowww0.jpg" width="650" height="340" border="0" title="" alt="" /><em><p>A year ago, former England captain Rio Ferdinand, West Ham United skipper Mark Noble and ex-Brighton striker Bobby Zamora [unveiled] their Legacy Foundation &ndash; a regeneration charity with a plan to build a series of social and privately rentable housing schemes, backed by private investors.
The stars (all three of whom have played for West Ham) are coming back to present their first project, worth &pound;400m, to build 1,300 homes on a 22-hectare site in a run-down area in Houghton Regis near Luton.</p></em><br /><br /><p></p><p>For more on housing-related issues in the UK, follow these links:</p><ul><li><a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/149966148/as-a-new-class-of-super-rich-investors-displace-the-traditional-elite-average-londoners-are-pushed-further-and-further-outside-the-city-limits" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">As a new class of super rich investors displace the traditional elite, average Londoners are pushed further and further outside the city limits</a></li><li><a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/149965813/almost-half-of-londoners-support-limits-on-building-height" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Almost half of Londoners support limits on building height</a></li><li><a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/149954374/brexit-will-put-even-more-strain-on-towns-already-pressed-for-housing" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Brexit will put even more strain on towns already pressed for housing</a></li><li><a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/149947731/to-live-in-london-you-can-t-be-a-londoner" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">To live in London you can't be a Londoner</a></li></ul>http://archinect.com/news/article/149970030/introducing-bjarke-ingels-floating-student-housing-urban-rigger
Introducing Bjarke Ingels' floating student housing, "Urban Rigger" Julia Ingalls2016-09-22T12:48:00-04:00>2016-10-17T17:04:23-04:00<img src="http://cdn.archinect.net/images/650x/pl/plfmt6xuq49wvc3c.jpg" width="650" height="443" border="0" title="" alt="" /><p>Bjarke Ingels has found the elusive silver lining in global sea level rise and the European affordable housing crisis in the form of "Urban Rigger," a series of inexpensive student housing complexes that are designed to float in the sea, especially in those cities which have dense urban cores next to the waterfront. The idea here is to provide students with affordable digs that are close to class while simultaneously making the most out of changing climate conditions and post-industrial port repurposing. The first complete Urban Rigger has already been assembled in <a href="http://archinect.com/news/tag/3691/copenhagen" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Copenhagen</a>.</p><p><img title="" alt="" src="http://cdn.archinect.net/images/650x/uj/ujway5j3sgyzcnlk.jpg"></p><p>According to an article in <a href="https://www.fastcodesign.com/3063804/bjarke-ingelss-next-project-reinventing-student-housing?partner=rss" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">FastCompany</a>, "Each unit, which can house 12 students at once, is composed of modular shipping containers. These modules are powered by a photovoltaic array and use a heat-exchange system that draws upon the thermal mass of water to warm and cool the interiors. Meanwhile, an aerogel developed by NASA insulates the interiors."</p><p><img title="" alt="" src="http://cdn.archinect.net/images/650x/oz/ozzf38v52e8rg9gf.jpg"></p><p>For the latest on Bjarke Ingels:</p><ul><li><a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/149968706/play-arkinoid-arcade-on-big-s-website" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Play "Arkinoid" arcade on BIG...</a></li></ul>http://archinect.com/news/article/149966350/los-angeles-gets-dense-housing-development-wise-at-least
Los Angeles gets dense (housing-development-wise, at least) Julia Ingalls2016-09-01T14:14:00-04:00>2016-09-05T00:14:31-04:00<img src="http://cdn.archinect.net/images/650x/k8/k8as41r12kxf6a9l.jpg" width="650" height="488" border="0" title="" alt="" /><p>Once known as the city of single family homes, Los Angeles is now developing high-density housing complexes, not only in downtown, but according to this&nbsp;<a href="http://urbanland.uli.org/planning-design/driving-reurbanization-downtown-los-angeles/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Urban Land</a> article, on the traditionally reluctant-to-develop West Side.</p><p><img title="" alt="" src="http://cdn.archinect.net/images/650x/pi/pitxysq5lzosx7hj.jpg"></p><p>The developments mark a shift in how Los Angeles conceptualizes living, trending away from its iconoclastic, sprawling roots into a more traditional urbanism. The developments come at a time when Los Angeles is also investing heavily in public transit partially to help alleviate the city's signature traffic congestion.&nbsp;</p><p>For more on new urban development trends in Los Angeles:</p><ul><li><a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/149946497/with-opening-of-expo-line-to-santa-monica-l-a-s-dream-of-a-subway-to-the-sea-finally-comes-true-again" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">With opening of Expo Line to Santa Monica, L.A.'s dream of a "subway to the sea" finally comes true (again)</a></li><li><a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/149961116/zoning-in-los-angeles-doesn-t-allow-for-sensible-urban-development" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Zoning in Los Angeles "doesn&rsquo;t allow for sensible urban development"</a></li><li><a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/126287085/will-los-angeles-be-seeing-more-housing-development-along-its-la-river" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Will Los Angeles be seeing more housing development along its LA River?</a></li></ul>http://archinect.com/news/article/149964731/editor-s-picks-452
Editor's Picks #452 Nam Henderson2016-08-23T12:42:00-04:00>2016-08-23T21:10:53-04:00<img src="http://cdn.archinect.net/images/650x/f0/f01bxbz9nlc3wef1.jpg" width="650" height="383" border="0" title="" alt="" /><p><a href="http://archinect.com/Julia_Ingalls" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Julia Ingalls</a>&nbsp;took readers on <a href="http://archinect.com/features/article/149956316/touring-some-of-the-world-s-most-attractive-public-housing-projectsd" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">a tour of some of the world's most attractive public housing projects</a>, from the last decade.&nbsp;<strong>ChrisDx</strong> commented "<em>The projects certainly appear innovative in images taken most likely when they were first built. I wonder how &lsquo;successful&rsquo; they have been in meeting the resident's needs and what they look like now</em>."</p><p><img title="" alt="" src="http://cdn.archinect.net/images/650x/fs/fsgvfa9x6gj9cq8k.jpg"></p><p>Plus, <a href="http://archinect.com/nicholaskorody" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Nicholas Korody</a> investigated how <a href="http://archinect.com/features/article/149962603/ethical-dwellings-for-generation-y-explores-new-forms-of-living-and-owning-in-a-changing-london" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">ED/GY, or Ethical Dwellings for Generation Y</a>, hopes to address "<em>new forms of living and owning in a changing London</em>".&nbsp;<strong>Olaf Design Ninja_</strong> &nbsp;was terrified "<em>holy shit is this dystopic!</em>" <a href="https://twitter.com/BirdsofVenice/status/765384048365547520" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Birds of Venice</a> noted the "<em>Marxist sideboob.</em><em><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/housing?src=hash" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> #housing</a></em>".</p><p><img title="" alt="" src="http://cdn.archinect.net/images/650x/0j/0jyykbdccjqaicjv.jpg"><br>&nbsp;</p><p><strong>News</strong><br>In <a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/149962108/museum-at-the-front-line-one-to-one-33-with-dora-epstein-jones-executive-director-of-the-a-d-museum" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Archinect Sessions One-to-One #33</a>&nbsp;executive director of the A+D Museum Epstein Jones, imagines how A+D could become the L.A version of <a href="http://archinect.com/firms/cover/1920121/storefront-for-art-and-architecture" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Storefront</a>, while working to keep it accessible to the local community.</p><p><img title="" alt="" src="http://cdn.archinect.net/images/650x/dq/dqtmz2cihg28ii35.jpg"></p><p>Senior editor&nbsp;<a href="http://archinect.com/orhan" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Orhan Ayy&uuml;ce</a>&nbsp;reminded readers that&nbsp;<a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/149961944/dan-graham-hates-conceptual-art" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Dan Graham hates conceptual art</a>.&nbsp;<strong>Thayer-D</strong>&nbsp;"<em>was enjoying him quite well until he drew an arbitrary line between ar...</em></p>http://archinect.com/news/article/149963415/senator-tim-kaine-weighs-in-on-the-future-of-u-s-affordable-housing
Senator Tim Kaine weighs in on the future of U.S. affordable housing Justine Testado2016-08-15T18:57:00-04:00>2016-08-16T13:58:51-04:00<img src="http://cdn.archinect.net/images/650x/tw/twbo9mhv5zqw60ks.jpg" width="650" height="379" border="0" title="" alt="" /><em><p>Democratic [VP] candidate Senator Tim Kaine drew a bright line on Friday between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump on a subject important to pretty much every voter: housing. While Americans say that housing is as important an issue as other priorities, so far the subject hasn&rsquo;t come up much during the campaign. That just changed....His editorial outlines the ways that a Clinton administration would work to make housing fairer and more affordable.</p></em><br /><br /><p>A closer look at Sen. Tim Kaine's <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2016/08/12/opinions/affordable-housing-election-clinton-kaine/index.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">opinion editorial</a>, wherein he briefly outlines the Clinton administration's plans on fairer housing laws.</p><p>More on Archinect:</p><p><a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/149962751/shoring-up-america-s-infrastructure-by-repatriating-money-stashed-overseas" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Shoring up America's infrastructure by repatriating money stashed overseas</a></p><p><a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/149960406/how-republicans-and-democrats-differ-when-it-comes-to-infrastructure" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">How Republicans and Democrats differ when it comes to infrastructure</a></p><p><a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/149946044/glitz-and-ego-the-architectural-legacy-of-donald-trump-the-developer" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Glitz and ego" &ndash; the architectural legacy of Donald Trump, the developer</a></p>http://archinect.com/news/article/149961562/san-francisco-rejects-tech-tax-that-would-require-big-companies-to-fund-housing-initiatives
San Francisco rejects “tech tax” that would require big companies to fund housing initiatives Justine Testado2016-08-04T15:27:00-04:00>2016-08-10T00:07:05-04:00<img src="http://cdn.archinect.net/images/650x/03/03k9s0cfxaaph7s4.jpg" width="640" height="427" border="0" title="" alt="" /><em><p>&ldquo;They spend $25,000 per employee per year on perks like free beer and pool tables and massages ... That&rsquo;s great, but can they spend $1,000 to help the rest of San Francisco survive?&rdquo;
As it turned out, they could not. Representatives of tech organizations reacted fiercely against the tax, saying that it would suppress growth in the industry that has made the city &ndash; parts of it, at least &ndash; wealthy beyond the dreams of avarice.</p></em><br /><br /><p>Widening the gap between San Francisco's wealthy and poor, the&nbsp;budget committee of the city's board of supervisors&nbsp;rejected on Monday the tech tax, which &ldquo;would have imposed a 1.5% payroll levy on technology companies that generate more than $1m in revenues a year, including Uber, Google, Twitter and Airbnb.&rdquo;</p><p>More on Archinect:</p><p><a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/149961306/luxury-condos-sink-in-san-francisco-s-millennium-tower" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Luxury condos sink in San Francisco's Millennium Tower</a></p><p><a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/149954325/san-francisco-could-face-class-warfare-if-it-doesn-t-fix-its-economic-inequality" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">San Francisco could face "class warfare" if it doesn't fix its economic inequality</a></p><p><a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/149945853/what-these-pre-rent-control-stats-might-reveal-about-sf-s-soaring-housing-costs" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">What these &ldquo;pre-rent control&rdquo; stats might reveal about SF's soaring housing costs</a></p><p><a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/149945541/bay-area-media-ban-together-for-homelessness-advocacy" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bay Area media ban together for homelessness advocacy</a></p><p><a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/149942330/don-t-blame-the-tech-bros-sf-s-housing-crisis-is-bonkers-because-of-zoning-not-startups" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Don't blame the tech bros: SF's housing crisis is bonkers because of zoning, not startups</a></p>http://archinect.com/news/article/149961406/how-are-london-s-olympic-grounds-being-used-4-years-later
How are London's Olympic grounds being used 4 years later? Julia Ingalls2016-08-03T19:52:00-04:00>2016-08-09T01:10:47-04:00<img src="http://cdn.archinect.net/images/650x/r4/r4hkue6vs0l1oyqi.jpg" width="650" height="433" border="0" title="" alt="" /><p>Just in time for Friday's Rio Olympics, it's time to take a look back at former Olympic villages: specifically, what good are they post-games? In London, the 560 acres of the East End that was transformed into the grounds for the 2012 Olympics have undergone the Olly Wainwright examination in his latest piece for <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2016/aug/03/london-olympic-legacy-stratford-suburb-on-steroids" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Guardian</a>. As he writes,</p><p><em>That London has a lasting physical inheritance from its two-week &pound;12bn jamboree is indisputable, but what kind of place is the promised Legacy-land turning out to be?&nbsp;So far, it&rsquo;s an odd one. It is somewhere that feels more like an accidental suburban campus than a real piece of London &ndash; a place where the different functions that make up a city have been separated out, each built without much thought given to how they relate.</em></p><p>Good news: there is some affordable housing among the leftovers/adjacent proposed developing properties loosely branded as Olympicopolis, but there could be more (as ever).</p><p>More Olympics news:</p><ul><li><a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/149961137/rio-s-streets-clog-with-traffic-as-visitors-arrive-for-the-olympics" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Rio's streets clog with traffic as ...</a></li></ul>http://archinect.com/news/article/149960015/facebook-enters-the-housing-market-and-it-s-probably-not-a-good-thing
Facebook enters the housing market – and it's probably not a good thing Nicholas Korody2016-07-26T17:38:00-04:00>2016-08-02T01:32:43-04:00<img src="http://cdn.archinect.net/images/650x/7j/7jef0wki7op0g3mr.jpg" width="650" height="433" border="0" title="" alt="" /><em><p>Facebook could be your next landlord. In an effort to drum up support for the controversial expansion of its headquarters, the social media giant is trying to give back to the community by building at least 1,500 housing units that can be rented by the general public&mdash;not just Facebook employees [...]
Facebook has pledged that 15 percent of the new units it creates will go to low- or middle-income families.</p></em><br /><br /><p><em>...Which is great until you realize that 85 percent of the building will probably be ridiculously expensive and probably populated by local tech bros.</em></p><p>For more on Silicon Valley urbanism, check out these links:</p><ul><li><a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/149943493/silicon-valley-campuses-at-risk-as-sea-levels-rise" target="_blank">Silicon Valley campuses at risk as sea levels rise</a></li><li><a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/145046942/mark-zuckerberg-s-resolution-for-2016-build-an-at-home-ai-like-jarvis-in-iron-man" target="_blank">Mark Zuckerberg's resolution for 2016: build an at-home AI "like Jarvis in Iron Man"</a></li><li><a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/149957713/google-acquires-linkedin-s-hq-in-huge-unexpected-property-swap" target="_blank">Google acquires LinkedIn's HQ in huge, unexpected property swap</a></li><li><a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/149954668/what-s-the-newest-project-for-silicon-valley-investors-building-cities" target="_blank">What's the newest project for Silicon Valley investors? Building cities</a></li></ul>http://archinect.com/news/article/149959956/why-it-just-isn-t-possible-to-build-affordable-housing-in-the-current-u-s-housing-market
Why it just isn't possible to build affordable housing in the current U.S. housing market Amelia Taylor-Hochberg2016-07-26T13:03:00-04:00>2016-07-27T11:31:42-04:00<img src="http://cdn.archinect.net/images/650x/zm/zmwtxdfpp8nmr5rj.jpg" width="650" height="434" border="0" title="" alt="" /><em><p>Nudge down the design and development fees, pay the construction workers less, drop the interest rate as low as it will go, spend nothing on maintenance, even assume that someone gave the land for free &mdash; and the buildings still aren't feasible. A 50-unit apartment is still millions short.
"Even if you try to tweak a lot," Poethig says, "for people of extremely low incomes, there&rsquo;s just going to be this gap to the cost of development and production of housing."</p></em><br /><br /><p>A very enlightening (and depressing, but with tentative solutions!) <a href="http://apps.urban.org/features/cost-of-affordable-housing/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">interactive</a> from the Urban Institute uses data from Denver, Colorado's housing market to show how building affordable housing just doesn't "pencil out"&mdash;meaning, as Emily Badger puts it for the <em>Washington&nbsp;</em><em>Post</em>, "The costs of building&nbsp;them outstrip&nbsp;what&nbsp;the people who may live in them could afford to pay in rent."</p><p>As Badger explains it, this is mostly due to an imbalance between public and private involvement in the affordable housing system. It isn't profitable for developers to make affordable units, because the tenants just can't pay enough, but public subsidies often can't bridge the gap either. She sums it up:</p><p><em>To the extent that government should step in when the&nbsp;private market&nbsp;can't, affordable housing is a prime example. The larger&nbsp;problem, though, is that we hardly devote the kind of public resources to this market failure&nbsp;that it demands.</em></p><p>Denver was chosen because "It doesn't have a white-hot&nbsp;housing market like...</p>http://archinect.com/news/article/149959843/turning-plastic-trash-into-lego-like-building-materials
Turning plastic trash into "LEGO"-like building materials Amelia Taylor-Hochberg2016-07-25T20:36:00-04:00>2016-07-30T00:59:38-04:00<img src="http://cdn.archinect.net/images/650x/23/230ad98c3665373dedb0b1f7b04be878.jpg" width="650" height="433" border="0" title="" alt="" /><em><p>The [plastic] materials are thoroughly cleaned, before being ground into a rough power, mixed, melted and extruded into a range of shapes &ndash; mostly beams, blocks and pillars &ndash; which lock together to form buildings. Importantly, [Conceptos Pl&aacute;sticos] also trains communities in how to build these structures, giving them ownership over their homes [...]
Like LEGO blocks, these interlocking structures don&rsquo;t need adhesive to be strong and sturdy, which makes them a good option for mobile shelters.</p></em><br /><br /><p>Related on Archinect:</p><ul><li><a title="Rotterdam considers paving its roads with recycled plastic " href="http://archinect.com/news/article/131579411/rotterdam-considers-paving-its-roads-with-recycled-plastic" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Rotterdam considers paving its roads with recycled plastic</a></li><li><a href="http://archinect.com/features/article/103711909/student-works-this-house-made-of-trash-teaches-a-lesson-in-green-housekeeping" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Student Works: This house made of trash teaches a lesson in green housekeeping</a></li><li><a title="Taiwan tests recycling's limits with bus stops out of bottles" href="http://archinect.com/news/article/68576882/taiwan-tests-recycling-s-limits-with-bus-stops-out-of-bottles" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Taiwan tests recycling's limits with bus stops out of bottles</a></li><li><a title="Raumlabor&rsquo;s &lsquo;Big Crunch&rsquo; is an Incredible Building Made from Discarded Materials" href="http://archinect.com/news/article/11626444/raumlabor-s-big-crunch-is-an-incredible-building-made-from-discarded-materials" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Raumlabor&rsquo;s &lsquo;Big Crunch&rsquo; is an Incredible Building Made from Discarded Materials</a></li><li><a title="747 Recycled Airplane Wing House Completed in Malibu" href="http://archinect.com/news/article/10131653/747-recycled-airplane-wing-house-completed-in-malibu" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">747 Recycled Airplane Wing House Completed in Malibu</a></li></ul>http://archinect.com/news/article/149958832/what-kind-of-housing-will-shigeru-ban-s-tallest-timber-hybrid-add-to-vancouver
What kind of housing will Shigeru Ban's "tallest timber hybrid" add to Vancouver? Julia Ingalls2016-07-20T12:50:00-04:00>2016-07-27T01:29:21-04:00<img src="http://cdn.archinect.net/images/650x/i1/i1lnnq42wurquppf.jpg" width="650" height="464" border="0" title="" alt="" /><p>Details are scant, there's only one rendering, and yet according to on-the-nose-named developer PortLiving, <a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/149950549/a-video-tour-of-shigeru-ban-s-aspen-art-museum" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Shigeru Ban</a> has designed the world's tallest timber hybrid apartment complex. Called Terrace House, the sloping glass-encased, timber-framed, concrete and steel-cored building will eventually tower over Vancouver's waterfront. No word on whether this apartment complex will be adding affordable units or more luxury condominiums to Vancouver's bracingly expensive <a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/126953722/another-case-of-poor-door-for-proposed-vancouver-high-rise" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">housing market</a>.</p><p>For more on the resurgence of timber as chic building material:</p><ul><li><a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/149945987/future-sustainable-skyscrapers-will-be-made-of-wood" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Future sustainable skyscrapers will be made of...wood?</a></li><li><a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/143912781/world-s-tallest-wooden-skyscraper-at-least-for-now-under-construction-in-vancouver" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">World&rsquo;s tallest wooden skyscraper (at least for now) under construction in Vancouver</a></li><li><a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/131408316/rise-of-the-wooden-skyscrapers-where-all-you-need-is-a-giant-allen-key-to-put-it-together" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Rise of the wooden skyscrapers: "Where all you need is a giant allen key to put it together."</a></li></ul>http://archinect.com/news/article/149958136/cutting-out-the-real-estate-middle-man-a-closer-look-at-self-builds
Cutting out the (real estate) middle man: a closer look at Self-Builds Alexander Walter2016-07-15T13:46:00-04:00>2016-07-22T05:10:03-04:00<img src="http://cdn.archinect.net/images/650x/c3/c35318ba8fd0ce3fabd59f33809ac0f8.jpg" width="650" height="432" border="0" title="" alt="" /><em><p>It&rsquo;s not a new argument to say that cities are increasingly morphing from social configurations to investment vehicles. [...]
&ldquo;Self-builds&rdquo;, &ldquo;Baugruppen&rdquo;, and &ldquo;zelfbouw&rdquo; are just a few ways to define variations of building-it-yourself (BIY), whether done individually or as a collective. The end users (who are the commissioners), together with architects, decide on the design of their homes, and then take care of the construction themselves or have contractors do it.</p></em><br /><br /><p>Related stories on Archinect:</p><ul><li><a href="http://archinect.com/features/article/149956435/it-s-the-culture-stupid-curatorial-statement-for-the-international-architecture-biennale-rotterdam-from-executive-director-george-brugmans" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">It's the Culture, Stupid: curatorial statement for the International Architecture Biennale Rotterdam, from executive director George Brugmans</a></li><li><a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/149957948/reinhold-martin-hosts-contentious-house-housing-panel-provoking-discussion-on-inequality-real-estate-and-architecture" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Reinhold Martin hosts contentious 'House Housing' panel, provoking discussion on inequality, real estate and architecture</a></li><li><a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/149951467/halfway-there-the-limits-to-aravena-s-social-housing" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Halfway there? The limits to Aravena's social housing</a></li></ul>http://archinect.com/news/article/149955774/overcrowding-on-london-s-canals
Overcrowding on London's canals Ellen Hancock2016-07-04T11:39:00-04:00>2016-07-22T12:46:08-04:00<img src="http://cdn.archinect.net/images/650x/e1/e15522085c37aec7f24f7f4b6e7e9c70.jpg" width="650" height="430" border="0" title="" alt="" /><em><p>I&rsquo;m no longer a boater, and when I took a walk around the canal recently, I discovered that London&rsquo;s canals have hundreds more boats than before, many in temporary moorings &ndash; constant cruisers that have to move every two weeks. Twenty years ago, you could walk from Little Venice to the Sainsbury&rsquo;s at Kensal Green and barely see a moored boat. Now, they are two abreast almost the entire way, on both sides of the canal.</p></em><br /><br /><p>Find out more about how the housing crisis is affecting London:</p><ul><li><a href="http://uk.archinect.com/news/article/149954374/brexit-will-put-even-more-strain-on-towns-already-pressed-for-housing" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Brexit will put even more strain on towns already pressed for housing</a></li><li><a href="http://uk.archinect.com/news/article/149952296/how-elevators-could-fix-the-affordable-housing-crisis" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">How elevators could fix the affordable housing crisis</a></li><li><a href="http://uk.archinect.com/news/article/149951735/london-revives-co-housing" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">London revives co-housing</a></li><li><a href="http://uk.archinect.com/news/article/149947731/to-live-in-london-you-can-t-be-a-londoner" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">To live in London you can't be a Londoner</a></li></ul>http://archinect.com/news/article/149953091/los-angeles-sues-property-owner-who-allegedly-evicted-tenants-for-airbnb-flip
Los Angeles sues property owner who allegedly evicted tenants for Airbnb flip Amelia Taylor-Hochberg2016-06-21T17:31:00-04:00>2016-06-21T21:06:10-04:00<img src="http://cdn.archinect.net/images/650x/p1/p14715ch07c5zega.jpg" width="650" height="432" border="0" title="" alt="" /><em><p>City attorney Mike Feuer has filed criminal charges against Carol Jean Alsman, a local property owner, for allegedly forcing out tenants in rent-controlled units and then listing the units for rent on Airbnb. [...]
[Feuer&rsquo;s] office has lodged civil complaints against three other Los Angeles property owners for allegedly using their buildings as illegal hotels [...]
&ldquo;In a city with a profound shortage of affordable housing, unlawfully converting rental units to operate hotels has got to stop&rdquo;</p></em><br /><br /><p>Related on Archinect:</p><ul><li><a title="After allegations of racial discrimination and #AirbnbWhileBlack fallout, Airbnb looks inward" href="http://archinect.com/news/article/149949227/after-allegations-of-racial-discrimination-and-airbnbwhileblack-fallout-airbnb-looks-inward" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">After allegations of racial discrimination and #AirbnbWhileBlack fallout, Airbnb looks inward</a></li><li><a title="Airbnb invests in a blockchain future" href="http://archinect.com/news/article/149940504/airbnb-invests-in-a-blockchain-future" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Airbnb invests in a blockchain future</a></li><li><a title='Airbnb intentionally misconstrued data to "garner good press", according to new report' href="http://archinect.com/news/article/148424326/airbnb-intentionally-misconstrued-data-to-garner-good-press-according-to-new-report" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Airbnb intentionally misconstrued data to "garner good press", according to new report</a></li><li><a title="Barcelona plans shakedown scheme against unlicensed Airbnb apartments to curb tourism boom" href="http://archinect.com/news/article/134651275/barcelona-plans-shakedown-scheme-against-unlicensed-airbnb-apartments-to-curb-tourism-boom" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Barcelona plans shakedown scheme against unlicensed Airbnb apartments to curb tourism boom</a></li><li><a title="Airbnb to collect taxes in Paris" href="http://archinect.com/news/article/135130016/airbnb-to-collect-taxes-in-paris" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Airbnb to collect taxes in Paris</a></li></ul>http://archinect.com/news/article/149952296/how-elevators-could-fix-the-affordable-housing-crisis
How elevators could fix the affordable housing crisis Amelia Taylor-Hochberg2016-06-17T15:32:00-04:00>2016-06-20T08:57:16-04:00<img src="http://cdn.archinect.net/images/650x/7e/7ea5ida7mwbgxt6r.jpg" width="650" height="433" border="0" title="" alt="" /><em><p>Elevators are [the] transportation breakthrough that made steel frame construction genuinely useful... tall apartment buildings make it possible for there to be plenty of housing for everyone even where land is scarce.
If elevators were more widely used, they could unleash not just a boom of new construction in America's most expensive areas but an important secondary boom of higher wages for workers at all skill levels.</p></em><br /><br /><p>Related on Archinect:</p><ul><li><a title="World's tallest elevator tower is going up" href="http://archinect.com/news/article/149944852/world-s-tallest-elevator-tower-is-going-up" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">World's tallest elevator tower is going up</a></li><li><a title="Wilshire Grand Tower, the West Coast's tallest building, structurally tops out in LA" href="http://archinect.com/news/article/149934077/wilshire-grand-tower-the-west-coast-s-tallest-building-structurally-tops-out-in-la" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Wilshire Grand Tower, the West Coast's tallest building, structurally tops out in LA</a></li><li><a title="Michael Maltzan's One Santa Fe tries to make density appealing in Los Angeles" href="http://archinect.com/news/article/111184419/michael-maltzan-s-one-santa-fe-tries-to-make-density-appealing-in-los-angeles" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Michael Maltzan's One Santa Fe tries to make density appealing in Los Angeles</a></li><li><a title="Tokyo Takes New York: Astounding Housing Facts" href="http://archinect.com/news/article/100125462/tokyo-takes-new-york-astounding-housing-facts" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Tokyo Takes New York: Astounding Housing Facts</a></li></ul>http://archinect.com/news/article/149947731/to-live-in-london-you-can-t-be-a-londoner
To live in London you can't be a Londoner Julia Ingalls2016-05-27T01:00:00-04:00>2016-06-01T13:03:57-04:00<img src="http://cdn.archinect.net/images/650x/vp/vpr44knaiqd21nw9.jpg" width="650" height="538" border="0" title="" alt="" /><em><p>Almost two-thirds of homes in the Tower, a 50-storey apartment complex in London, are in foreign ownership, with a quarter held through secretive offshore companies based in tax havens, a Guardian investigation has revealed.
The first residents of the landmark development arrived in October 2013, but many of the homes are barely occupied, with some residents saying they only use them for a fraction of the year.</p></em><br /><br /><p>The kind of wealth&nbsp;that turns a home into a status symbol&mdash;and an underused status symbol at that, with occupancy rates of only a few weeks a year&mdash;is not easing London's <a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/149935882/could-a-pop-up-village-in-south-east-london-be-the-answer-to-the-city-s-housing-crisis" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">housing crisis</a>. As the city's housing rates push actual citizens to decamp to cheaper suburbs or simply leave the area altogether, London can look forward to being transformed into an empty stage set of a once thriving metropolis.</p><p><img title="" alt="" src="http://cdn.archinect.net/images/650x/gg/ggzi7y7ajsaa9o4m.jpg"></p><p>For a fuller perspective on London's housing problems:</p><ul><li><a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/149938805/london-s-housing-crisis-is-creating-a-chasm-between-the-rich-and-poor" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">London's housing crisis is creating a chasm between the rich and poor</a></li><li><a href="http://archinect.com/features/article/143145697/london-s-bleak-housing" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">London's Bleak Housing</a></li><li><a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/98551137/london-s-skyline-needs-more-tower-blocks-not-more-luxury-flats" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">London's skyline needs more tower blocks, not more luxury flats</a></li><li><a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/136811349/100-renderings-of-ideas-to-solve-london-s-housing-crisis-released" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">100 renderings of ideas to solve London's housing crisis released</a></li></ul>http://archinect.com/news/article/149947505/london-fails-to-achieve-any-targets-for-affordable-housing
London fails to achieve any targets for affordable housing Nicholas Korody2016-05-25T17:32:00-04:00>2016-05-25T17:59:59-04:00<img src="http://cdn.archinect.net/images/650x/x2/x29xrkqjwmqgw4iz.jpg" width="650" height="441" border="0" title="" alt="" /><em><p>Private property developers are outmanoeuvring councils in housing negotiations and routinely delivering fewer affordable homes than town halls want, an industry analysis has revealed.
Amid growing anger at the sale to foreign buyers of almost two-thirds of London&rsquo;s tallest residential skyscraper, which includes no affordable housing, it has emerged that not one London borough which set targets met them in the last six years.</p></em><br /><br /><p>For more on the increasingly dire state of housing in London, take a look at some past coverage:</p><ul><li><a href="http://archinect.com/features/article/143145697/london-s-bleak-housing" target="_blank">London's Bleak Housing</a></li><li><a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/149942752/950-for-a-mouldy-central-flat-welcome-to-london" target="_blank">&pound;950 for a mouldy 'central' flat? Welcome to London.</a></li><li><a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/149941650/the-root-of-london-s-housing-crisis-lies-beyond-its-borders" target="_blank">The root of London's housing crisis lies beyond its borders</a></li><li><a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/149938805/london-s-housing-crisis-is-creating-a-chasm-between-the-rich-and-poor" target="_blank">London's housing crisis is creating a chasm between the rich and poor</a></li></ul>http://archinect.com/news/article/149947217/austin-considering-mandating-affordable-housing-units-in-some-areas
Austin considering mandating affordable housing units in some areas Nicholas Korody2016-05-24T20:06:00-04:00>2016-06-01T01:14:19-04:00<img src="http://cdn.archinect.net/images/650x/9v/9vvnrgq380bg9ey8.jpg" width="650" height="366" border="0" title="" alt="" /><em><p>A City Council committee could take the first steps Tuesday toward mandating that developers include affordable units in new housing complexes to be built in several East Austin neighborhoods.
The proposal by Council Member Greg Casar, who chairs the council&rsquo;s Planning and Neighborhoods Committee, comes as soaring rents have pushed poorer and minority residents out of the city.</p></em><br /><br /><p>The plan would mark a significant shift in direction from the current, incentive-based approach that allows developers to build larger buildings in exchange for including affordable housing units. As it stands now, developers can also pay a fee to the city's housing fund in order to build bigger buildings.</p><p>In related news:</p><ul><li><a href="http://archinect.com/features/article/143145697/london-s-bleak-housing" target="_blank">London's Bleak Housing</a></li><li><a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/149946409/new-york-can-t-be-what-it-used-to-be-thanks-to-zoning" target="_blank">New York can't be what it used to be, thanks to zoning</a></li><li><a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/149944864/the-self-segregation-of-america-s-wealthiest-class" target="_blank">The self-segregation of America's wealthiest class</a></li><li><a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/149945799/la-has-a-housing-crisis-but-the-problem-isn-t-those-fancy-new-towers" target="_blank">LA has a housing crisis &ndash; but the problem isn't those fancy new towers</a></li></ul>http://archinect.com/news/article/149945853/what-these-pre-rent-control-stats-might-reveal-about-sf-s-soaring-housing-costs
What these “pre-rent control” stats might reveal about SF's soaring housing costs Justine Testado2016-05-17T18:48:00-04:00>2016-05-20T23:44:38-04:00<img src="http://cdn.archinect.net/images/650x/v9/v9lbs0nzn7g1mw47.jpg" width="650" height="488" border="0" title="" alt="" /><em><p>OK, so this would mean the way to make San Francisco as affordable as (say) Portland would be to either cut everybody&rsquo;s salary in half, or fire half of them, or allow the city&rsquo;s population to rapidly grow about 50 percent, to about 1.2 million, while the number of housing units increased even faster.</p></em><br /><br /><p>In discussing San Francisco's rising housing costs over the years, journalist Michael Andersen re-emphasizes some points in&nbsp;<a href="https://experimental-geography.blogspot.com/2016/05/employment-construction-and-cost-of-san.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">this recent blogpost</a>&nbsp;by a man named Eric Fischer, who took his own approach in analyzing the city's housing prices before 1979, when SF's rent-control rates began being recorded. While Fischer's method may not be perfect, Andersen argues that the findings could shed new light on San Francisco's housing market.</p><p>More on Archinect:</p><p><a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/149945541/bay-area-media-ban-together-for-homelessness-advocacy" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bay Area media ban together for homelessness advocacy</a></p><p><a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/149942330/don-t-blame-the-tech-bros-sf-s-housing-crisis-is-bonkers-because-of-zoning-not-startups" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Don't blame the tech bros: SF's housing crisis is bonkers because of zoning, not startups</a></p><p><a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/149937655/box-sweet-box-sf-man-lives-in-wooden-pod-in-friends-apartment-for-400-month" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Box sweet box: SF man lives in wooden "pod" in friends' apartment for $400/month</a></p><p><a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/149889647/clickbait-is-making-affordable-housing-even-more-of-an-uphill-battle" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Clickbait is making affordable housing even more of an uphill battle</a></p>http://archinect.com/news/article/149945389/what-it-s-like-living-here-shawn-selway-in-hamilton-ontario
What It's Like Living Here — Shawn Selway in Hamilton, Ontario Gary Garvin2016-05-15T16:39:00-04:00>2016-05-16T10:11:17-04:00<img src="http://cdn.archinect.net/images/650x/8a/8ai7cqxivzrbln92.jpg" width="480" height="282" border="0" title="" alt="" /><em><p>We inhabit a lampoon of capitalism. Marx would certainly get a laugh out of the view: the mountain of capital left to rust unused, and just beyond, a second mountain, still alive with fire and action and thriving alongside the corpse of its former rival.</p></em><br /><br /><p>Canadian writer Shawn Selway provides an intimate and critical view of the urbanization&mdash;and subsequent decline&mdash;of Hamilton, Ontario. The issues he raises can be found around the globe. Hamilton is one more piece in the puzzle we're all trying to live in&mdash;and solve.</p><p>Another quotation from the piece:</p><p><em>Consultants overran the joint. Their maps reconfigure the territory and their perspectives are disturbing in a surprisingly intimate way. Attending public meetings at the rail station turned banquet hall, or at the neighbourhood recreation centre, you are made uneasy by the scale of what is proposed. Your understanding of &ldquo;market forces&rdquo; deepens when the invisible hand is pressed to your own back, steering you firmly toward the door.</em></p>http://archinect.com/news/article/149944418/meditating-on-the-past-future-housing-of-los-angeles-with-morgan-fisher-and-karina-nimmerfall-at-the-mak-center
Meditating on the "Past Future Housing" of Los Angeles with Morgan Fisher and Karina Nimmerfall at the MAK Center Nicholas Korody2016-05-10T13:56:00-04:00>2016-05-19T22:42:44-04:00<img src="http://cdn.archinect.net/images/650x/8m/8m27ngr1qki2pv9l.jpg" width="650" height="433" border="0" title="" alt="" /><p>&ldquo;How can you morally and ethically justify in your own mind working on a project that would take people accustomed to living on the ground, of having their gardens, chickens, and their little animals in their yards, having space around them, having flowers, to live in these twenty-four thirteen-story-high buildings?&rdquo; The architecture critic asks the architect &ndash; modeled after <a href="http://archinect.com/news/tag/19722/richard-neutra" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Richard Neutra</a> &ndash; in a play by the artist Karina Nimmerfall, part of her installation with Morgan Fisher at the Garage Top at <a href="http://archinect.com/features/article/123300660/ghosts-of-schindler-s-past-haunt-renee-green-s-mak-center-exhibition" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the MAK Center</a> in Los Angeles.</p><p>Entitled <em>Past Future Housing, </em>the exhibit comprises a painting by Fisher paired with a bare-if-not-quite-minimalist installation by Nimmerfall that includes a video and the play,&nbsp;printed out and stapled. An accompanying exhibit text clarifies the intention of the work as a meditation on historical, optimistic visions for public housing in the city, with some look towards the &ldquo;future&rdquo; implied if not readily evident.</p><p>More specifically, the show revolves around tw...</p>http://archinect.com/news/article/149943280/dattner-designed-bronx-high-rise-will-be-new-york-city-s-largest-residential-passive-house
Dattner-designed Bronx high-rise will be New York City's largest residential Passive House Alexander Walter2016-05-02T14:08:00-04:00>2016-05-20T09:38:50-04:00<img src="http://cdn.archinect.net/images/650x/wk/wkdpd47wqlh6l2fy.jpg" width="514" height="288" border="0" title="" alt="" /><em><p>In addition to housing for low- and moderate-income households, the mixed-use and mixed-income development will include a supermarket with healthy food options, a charter school, a medical facility, cultural and community spaces, a social services facility, and a rehabilitated playground that is currently closed. [...]
The 24-story building is expected to be the largest residential Passive House built in New York City and use 70% less energy than conventional buildings.</p></em><br /><br /><p>Related stories in the Archinect news:</p><ul><li><a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/146668906/michael-kimmelman-on-the-state-of-affordable-housing-in-nyc" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Michael Kimmelman on the state of affordable housing in NYC</a></li><li><a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/145045336/lessons-learned-the-complex-realities-when-designing-communal-social-housing" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Lessons learned: The complex realities when designing communal social housing</a></li><li><a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/124374509/the-bronx-s-once-celebrated-lambert-houses-face-an-unclear-fate" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Bronx&rsquo;s once celebrated Lambert Houses face an unclear fate</a></li></ul>http://archinect.com/news/article/149941745/as-housing-crisis-persists-l-a-s-bootlegged-apartments-get-one-step-closer-to-legal
As housing crisis persists, L.A.'s "bootlegged apartments" get one step closer to legal Amelia Taylor-Hochberg2016-04-21T12:58:00-04:00>2016-04-21T12:58:59-04:00<img src="http://cdn.archinect.net/images/650x/o0/o0lzhht0qlccq0de.jpg" width="650" height="366" border="0" title="" alt="" /><em><p>Under the new law, the city would be able to relax some of the rules that often stop such [bootlegged] apartments from being legalized, allowing more density and loosening parking requirements.
In return, landlords who seek to legalize bootlegged units will have to provide some affordable apartments at those buildings &mdash; and guarantee that they remain affordable for at least 55 years, under a legal covenant documented with the county recorder.</p></em><br /><br /><p>Related on Archinect:</p><ul><li><a title="Clickbait is making affordable housing even more of an uphill battle" href="http://archinect.com/news/article/149889647/clickbait-is-making-affordable-housing-even-more-of-an-uphill-battle" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Clickbait is making affordable housing even more of an uphill battle</a></li><li><a title="Homes of the homeless, seized: L.A. cracks down on free housing" href="http://archinect.com/news/article/148962253/homes-of-the-homeless-seized-l-a-cracks-down-on-free-housing" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Homes of the homeless, seized: L.A. cracks down on free housing</a></li><li><a title="California to decrease parking requirements for affordable housing" href="http://archinect.com/news/article/138954637/california-to-decrease-parking-requirements-for-affordable-housing" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">California to decrease parking requirements for affordable housing</a></li><li><a title="Developers in California can be required to include low-income housing, courts declare" href="http://archinect.com/news/article/129656013/developers-in-california-can-be-required-to-include-low-income-housing-courts-declare" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Developers in California can be required to include low-income housing, courts declare</a></li><li><a title="L.A.'s &quot;bootlegged&quot; apartments might receive amnesty from city under new proposal" href="http://archinect.com/news/article/129640690/l-a-s-bootlegged-apartments-might-receive-amnesty-from-city-under-new-proposal" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">L.A.'s "bootlegged" apartments might receive amnesty from city under new proposal</a></li></ul>http://archinect.com/news/article/149889647/clickbait-is-making-affordable-housing-even-more-of-an-uphill-battle
Clickbait is making affordable housing even more of an uphill battle Amelia Taylor-Hochberg2016-03-08T13:50:00-05:00>2016-03-17T02:00:01-04:00<img src="http://cdn.archinect.net/images/650x/73/738144516441a21b531449ee90af71c1.jpg" width="600" height="760" border="0" title="" alt="" /><em><p>when media outlets report cost of materials as being some $13,000, I want to know what was donated in terms of materials, too. Were permit fees waived? There are many times when you need a licensed architect or engineer for certain permits, and that&rsquo;s not likely in these totals.
It is completely fine to get around having to do that stuff, but it&rsquo;s not truthful to report the results without the real numbers as a part of the story. These kinds of things get shared around...</p></em><br /><br /><p>Related on Archinect:</p><ul><li><a title="Michael Kimmelman on the state of affordable housing in NYC" href="http://archinect.com/news/article/146668906/michael-kimmelman-on-the-state-of-affordable-housing-in-nyc" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Michael Kimmelman on the state of affordable housing in NYC</a></li><li><a title="Lessons learned: The complex realities when designing communal social housing" href="http://archinect.com/news/article/145045336/lessons-learned-the-complex-realities-when-designing-communal-social-housing" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Lessons learned: The complex realities when designing communal social housing</a></li><li><a title="The Guardian reveals how developers play the planning system to get around affordable housing" href="http://archinect.com/news/article/130502087/the-guardian-reveals-how-developers-play-the-planning-system-to-get-around-affordable-housing" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Guardian reveals how developers play the planning system to get around affordable housing</a></li><li><a title="Developers in California can be required to include low-income housing, courts declare" href="http://archinect.com/news/article/129656013/developers-in-california-can-be-required-to-include-low-income-housing-courts-declare" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Developers in California can be required to include low-income housing, courts declare</a></li><li><a title="&quot;We've got enough millionaires&quot;: George Lucas wants to build affordable housing on his own land" href="http://archinect.com/news/article/125745572/we-ve-got-enough-millionaires-george-lucas-wants-to-build-affordable-housing-on-his-own-land" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"We've got enough millionaires": George Lucas wants to build affordable housing on his own land</a></li></ul>http://archinect.com/news/article/148962253/homes-of-the-homeless-seized-l-a-cracks-down-on-free-housing
Homes of the homeless, seized: L.A. cracks down on free housing Julia Ingalls2016-02-25T14:35:00-05:00>2016-02-29T01:09:23-05:00<img src="http://cdn.archinect.net/images/650x/fo/foplnscbxyqqoeh9.jpg" width="650" height="366" border="0" title="" alt="" /><em><p>Escalating their battle to stamp out an unprecedented spread of street encampments, city officials have begun seizing tiny houses from homeless people living on freeway overpasses in South Los Angeles.
Three of the gaily painted wooden houses, which come with solar-powered lights and American flags, were confiscated earlier this month and seven more are planned for impound Thursday, a Bureau of Sanitation spokeswoman said.</p></em><br /><br /><p>Does providing homes for the homeless solve the problem? Studies would indicate that it does, based on our coverage of the development of programs across the globe to help provide permanent, individualized shelter for the homeless, including those in Utah, Seattle, and London.</p><p><img title="" alt="" src="http://cdn.archinect.net/images/650x/58/58x89us6bezn8fok.jpg"></p><p>Here's a sampling:</p><ul><li><a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/146268318/seattle-builds-village-for-the-homeless" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Seattle builds village for the homeless&nbsp;</a></li><li><a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/135208771/archinect-s-comparison-of-transient-oriented-architecture" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Archinect's comparison of transient-oriented architecture</a></li><li><a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/113424294/d-c-breaks-ground-on-housing-for-homeless-vets" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">D.C. Breaks Ground on Housing for Homeless Vets</a></li></ul>http://archinect.com/news/article/148893992/oregon-housing-design-curriculum-wins-national-award
Oregon housing design curriculum wins national award martig2016-02-24T15:08:00-05:00>2016-03-01T00:13:00-05:00<img src="http://cdn.archinect.net/images/650x/r3/r39h9e7usbd89o2z.jpg" width="650" height="488" border="0" title="" alt="" /><em><p>&ldquo;The combination of the course offerings on a regular basis in subject-area courses, housing studios, design-build, as well as programs for both students and the primary faculty involved&mdash;that we feel is unique,&rdquo; says UO architecture professor Michael Fifield.</p></em><br /><br /><p>The University of Oregon Department of Architecture was recognized in January as among the finest in the country for its housing design education.</p><p>UO architecture faculty members Michael Fifield, Peter Keyes, and Rob Thallon, who spearhead the UO Housing Specialization Program, received the &ldquo;Housing Design Education Award-Excellence in Housing Education Course or Activity.&rdquo; The accolade is given jointly by Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture (ACSA) and the American Institute of Architecture (AIA).</p><p><img title="" alt="" src="http://cdn.archinect.net/images/650x/jk/jkj5ny50hr1d6b95.jpg"></p><p>The three professors oversee a variety of subject-specific courses. Thallon teaches Design Build and Residential Building Construction courses, including <a href="http://oregonbilds.uoregon.edu/build/tech-build-winter-2016/?blogsub=subscribed" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Oregon BILDS (Building Integrated Livable Designs Sustainably</a>); Keyes instructs a thesis studio and a Housing Design course; and Fifield, the program&rsquo;s director, teaches housing design studios and subject-area courses including Housing Prototypes, Community Design, and Minimal Dwelling.</p><p>&ldquo;Very few other&mdash;if any&mdash;housing programs a...</p>http://archinect.com/news/article/147293715/australian-architects-mourn-the-loss-of-paul-pholeros-renowned-housing-equality-advocate-for-aboriginal-communities
Australian architects mourn the loss of Paul Pholeros, renowned housing equality advocate for Aboriginal communities Justine Testado2016-02-03T21:05:00-05:00>2016-02-03T21:06:12-05:00<img src="http://cdn.archinect.net/images/650x/pf/pfmun4o194sbknj0.jpg" width="620" height="396" border="0" title="" alt="" /><em><p>[Healthabitat, the non-profit Paul Pholeros co-founded,] developed a model called Housing for Health...working with Aboriginal communities, conducting a survey of all housing and completing urgent repairs using mainly local Indigenous contractors, and adding whatever upgrades or repairs they can afford until the money runs out.
The organisation has improved more than 8,000 houses &ndash; a third of Australia&rsquo;s Indigenous-controlled housing stock &ndash; and with them the lives of 55,000 people.</p></em><br /><br /><p>More on Archinect:</p><p><a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/137280876/new-study-suggests-aboriginal-collective-memory-reaches-back-more-than-7-000-years" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">New study suggests Aboriginal collective memory reaches back more than 7,000 years</a></p><p><a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/147267936/mindscraper-high-rise-educational-facility-renderings-in-sydney-unveiled-by-grimshaw-bvn" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mindscraper: high-rise educational facility renderings in Sydney unveiled by Grimshaw &amp; BVN</a></p><p><a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/109814027/an-illustrated-history-of-canberra-the-australian-capital-designed-by-american-architects" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">An illustrated history of Canberra, the Australian capital designed by American architects</a></p><p><a href="http://archinect.com/news/article/123301464/peter-stutchbury-receives-2015-gold-medal-in-australia-achievement-in-architecture-awards" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Peter Stutchbury receives 2015 Gold Medal in Australia Achievement in Architecture Awards</a></p>